Automatic safety-stop clutch.



C. F. HEINSS.

AUTQMATIG SAFETY STOP CLUTCH.

APPLIGATIOE FILED JUNE 2S, 1909. @5559@@39 ?atented 5, 4191).

2 SHEETS--SHBET l.

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AUTOMATIC SAFETY STOP CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, 1909.

Eatented Apr. 5, 1910.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

n wwusses L. @imag/15' CHBSTIAN F. HEINSS, OF CINCNN-.TL HO.

AUTMATC SiETY-STOP CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Yfiatented dpr. 5, il,

Application led June 23, 1969. Serial Ho. 503,876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CHRISTIAN F. Heines, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State ot' hio, have invented certain new and useful lmprovem ents in Atiutomat-ic Safety Stop Clutches, et which the following is a specification.

rlhe several features my invention and the various advantages resulting from their use coujointly or otherwisev will he apparent from the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings making a part ot' this specilication, and in which similar characters ot reference indicate corre spending parta-Figure l represents a side elevation of a portion ot a punching inachine, and of my newly invented mechanism combined therewith. Fig. 2 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation ol a portion of said machine. rlhe section is taken in the plane oil the dotted line 2, 2, of Fig. l, and represents that tace ot the seetion and that part oi the machine which faces toward the right in Fig. l, after all that mechanism which is at the right ol said section line 2, 2, has been removed. Fig. 3 represents, on a smaller scale, a side elevation of the machine similar to that shown in Fig l, hut showing the clutch locked, and the roller plunger out of engagement with the adjacent cam. A portion oi' the large gear wheel seen at the right in Fig. l is partly broken away. l? et is a side View, partly in elevation and partly in section ot a portion of a punching machine, and also in combination therewith, the said n'iechanism constituting my improvementsaid mechanism being partially modilicd. Fig. is a similar view, on a smaller scale et the mechanism shown in F ig. 1l, hut illustrating another working position ot the parts.

A indicates a portion the trame of the machine. Power is communicated to the machine by a rotatory mechanism.

In the present illustrative instance, B indicates a gear wheel driven by a pinion (not shown) rotated hy power. rlhis gear wheel B is concentrically mounted loosely on a. crank shalt rlhis crank shaft B2 extends through the frame Al, and at the other end of' the machine operates a punch or equivalent reciprocating mechanism. s such a punch or other reciprocatory mechanism is well known and does not directly constitute part of my invention, any pictures ot the same are omitted.

rlhe clutch piece D is ot a cylindrical torni and has the usual projecting parts C, il, separated hy depressions such as This clutch piece D is mounted concentrically on the crank shaft B2, and can slide along the said shaft in the di 'ection of its length, hut Jthe shatt and itmust and do always revolve together, because this clutch D and this shalt't B2 are connected ley the well known device termed a feather The counterpart clutclnpiece B3 has the usual projecting parts Uf", separated by depressions Ut. rlhis latter clutch piece B3 is connected so as to rotate with the gear wheel B.

@n the rotatable piece D is a double cam E, l?. The cam lt has, referring to its working edge, a long straight portion E2, and on each end et' this long straight portion E2 an inclined portion llt, and these portions E3 terminate in the straight portion El. rlhe cam i? has, on reference to its working edge, a long' straight portion F2. The respective ends of this Portion im terminate respectively in the inclined portions F3, and these tern'iinate in the straight portion e-"x rthe working tace orP cam li` is, as shown, preferably in general conformation, like that ot' cam E, but the faces F3, F3 and the 'tace Ft preferably extend farther from the plane ot the tace lf2. rlhe cam il is here shown in one piece with the cani. lt, hut the two canis may he separate. 'llie double cam E, F, encircles the clutch piece D, and is either attached 'theri-to, or it may he integralV therewith, as shown.

in the machine is located a slidable shatt El, against 'which a coiled spring N is adapted to ahnt. This spring ll is shown hy dotted lines in Fig. l. One end of this spring is at the shoulder M2 et the shaft M, and the other end is al iinst the end A3 of the pocket A2 in this irame A. in eX- tension or continuatiim lk. oit the shaft M is preferably present, and extends through the spring N, and through a hearing A at the lett hand end ot the pocket A2. The place where the said shatt. goes through said hearing is shown by dotted lines. This hearing keeps the siait lit. in alinemeut. in the preferred construction, and as a sai'e guard and. lock, l construct this pocket so Slt the shai t ni.

that it is slidahlc. rThis can he simply accomplished. by -making it separate from the main frame A. The pocket can slide upon it l l" T he spring l\l fills the pocket, and the shaft M3 extends through the center of this coiled spring N. Therefore the spring N in the pocket and the latter can readily slide upon the shaft M3, and vice versa, the shaft M can slide within the said pocket and spring.

l provide a lever l, and connect to it a handle lever B2. pivot one end of this lever to a stationary part of the frame or machine. Tn the present illustrative instance. l pivot it by a suitable pivot R5, to the bearing piece A5. To the other end of the lever, l pivotI by the connection i t, a link R5, and the other end of this link R5 l pivotally connect by a connection RG to the side of the pocket A2. The shoulder Mg aforesaid is of diameter small enough to be capable of entering that recess in the pocket rig in which the spring Y is located.

'llhe forward journal bearing for the shaft Bi' is preferably as follows: It consists of a bracket piece l bolted to the adjacent frame fr by bolts l, l. Fixed to the shaft M and extending through a slot M in the piece P is al stud M5, which in order to avoid friction in its contact with the key or stop bar G* hereinafter specified, is provided with a roller Mt, which is rotatable on said stud lil". The shaft M extends still farther to the right and at its end portion is provided with a friction roller MT, adapted to beal against the surface of the said cam l". 'Vhen the lever R, R2 in the position shown in Fig. l, the pocket- A2 and its spring are retracted, and exercise no function. Then the lever R, l? is placed in the position shown in Fig` 3, the pocket ,JG and the springl N within it is moved forward and this spring is compressed against the shoulder M'l of the shaft M, and the latter enters, and for the time being occupies the forward partlof the recess in the pocket El The resiliency ofthe spring N is thus put into use, and the elasticity of the spring` N tends to move the clutch piece D toward the counterpart clutch member B3, and cause the clutch piece l) to engage the counterpart clutch member B3, and will always do so, when permitted as hereinafter specified.

Preferred mechanism for allowing the clutch piece D of the clutch to engage the clutch member B3, and also for disengaging the said clutch piece D from the clutch member Bf' and to lock the parts so that the clutch cannot again operate until an intentional and new act through human agency has taken place, is as follows A vertical bar G, having its upper portion angulated or curved extends through guides H, 'l-l, the

latter preferably formed of recesses in the frame in which recesses the shaft G lies, the. shaft 'being held to place in these rccesses by cross bars respectively marked H2, the latter held in position by the bolts H3, screwed into the frame A. of the shaft is connected to the vertically slidable plunger G2, which latter extends through a passageway in the frame extension itt, and can move up and down therein. That end of this slid-able plunger Gf which is next the clutch piece D, has a roller il rotatory upon a reduced end portion G2 R of this plunger, and held in place by a suitable device, as the screw X2 shown by dot ted lines in Fig. l. Against `this roller X the cani E moves when the plunger G2 is in front of the roller X. lVhen the clutch piece l) is drawn back out of engagement. the bottom portion of the plunger' G2 will be in front of the cam E, as shown in Fig. l. The vertical shaft G can be elevated at will by the operator. The means for this purpose will consist of a suitable lever worked b v the'hand or by the foot. ln the present illustrative instance, this shaftI is preferably elevated by the more common means, to wir' z a treadle. The latter being well understood, a picture of it is omitted.. On this shaft G, a stop G3 is located. This stop G3 when the shaft G is elevated, strikes a stationary abutment, preferablythe lower cross bar H2, and this latter prevents any farther elevation of the shaft G and of the plunger G2 which it carries.

Hechanism for securely locking the clutch member D, when the latter is out of engagement with the clutch part B3, and thus preventing the possible engagement of these two opposite clutch members, when the operator has not put these into engagement is as follows: On the shaft G is fixed a key or stop bar Gt, and this stop bar rises and falls with the shaft G. This stop bar should. on the lower left hand corner portion. he rounded for diminishing the friction'between it and the roller` Mt. On the reciprocatory shaft M is the said stud M5 carrying the roller Mt, and this stud M, as before indicated, is movable with said shaft M back and forth in the slot M of the iframe A. The friction roller MT, which is located on the forward end of this shaft M. is placed so as to be in contact with the face of cam F, F2, F3. The lower corner of that end of the slidable key bar G* being rounded as aforementioned, then. after being with the shaft G elevated shown in Fig. El. then when it with said shaft desceudsfeit readily presses back the roller stud Mt. M5. and assumes the position shown in Fig. l. i The modein which the already described mechanism operates is as follows The mechanism being in the position shown in Fig. l, the power wheel B is put in motion by connecting it to a motor power already The upper end 'ceases in motion. The clutch member B is now also rotating with the gear wheel B. lV henever the operator desires the punch of the machine to descend, he moves the lever R, R2 into the position it occupies in F ig. I3. He then depresses the treadle and elevates the shaft G, which latter lifts the roller stud G2R ont of contact with the cam E. At the saine time, the elevation of the shaft G has lifted the key bar GL out of contact with the roller stud M4, M5. The spring N is now free to move the shaft M and does move it toward the clutch, and advances the clutch piece D into engagement with the clutch member B3. rlhe parts immediately concerned in this invention are now in the position shown in Fig. The shaft B2 is now in rotation and will operate the punch or other mechanism at the other end of the machine. As soon as the operator has elevated the shaft G and the engagement of the two parts of the clutch has been effected, the operator removes his pressure on the treadle and allows the shaft G to drop. The stud G2 will then descend and as permitted by the cam E, will rest upon the smooth peripheral surface of the clutch D. As the cams with the piece D rotate, the cam E2 impinges against the roller plunger G2, and as the latter does not yield laterally, the clutch D is forced toward the left hand of Fig. l, and the clutch piece D is moved out of connection with the clutch member B, and the shaft B2 ceases to turn and the uplifted punch or the like will not again descend until the operator works the treadle. As the clutch D is pushed back as last aforementioned, the cam FJ will move the roller M7 to the left, which moves the shaft hl. and the roller M* to the left, and at the same time compresses the spring N, thereby permitting the key bar Gl to descend behind t to the right of) this stud Mi into the position shown in Fig. fl. rl"hen the clutch piece D (C, (l2) is securely prevented from mov- .ing into engagement with the clutch member B3 (C3, (Il) until the shaft G is intentionally elevated by human agency. lecausc, although, through wear, the plunger G2, X (should the spring be allowed to act) may be not quite far enough to the left to force the cam E and the clutch D at all times far enough away from the clutch part l, Ct, to prevent the clutch part C, C2 from engaging with it, nevertheless the cam l 4 F3 being higher than the cam E3 the key bar GL will keep the stud M5, ML to the left and with it hold the spring N from acting upon the mechanism, and thus the opposite faces of the clutch cannot at all engage. In this way, the mechanism is safe-guarded.

A modified construction of the parts already described is illustrated in Figs. l and a. In this construction, the shaft G which for moving it, is drawn down when the machine is to be started. The plunger G2 is preferably located in the arm or extension A4 of the frame. Here this extension .fit is simply located below the clutch D. In this extension A* there is a lever GS, pivoted to the extension at G9. rfhe upper end of this lever carries a roller GT, rolling against the cam F, F2, F1", substantially as does the roller stud G7 in Fig. i. This lever, at a part of it., below this roller stud is adapted to impinge against. the rounded end lvlS of the shaft M. The shoulder M2 of the shaft M impinges against the spring N as heretofore mentioned. The lower end of this lever G8 is rounded at Gm, as shown. The plunger G2 carries an arm G12, suitably secured to the stud, preferably by the portions of the arm Gl2 embracing' the plunger G2 and then set in place by the set screw G13, which is screwed through this arm G2 and against the plunger G2. The outer end of the arm G12 carries an end portion Gm angulated upward and adapted'to he at the left of the lever GS when the upper end of the lever is against. the part. Fl of the cam F. rlhe operation of this modified mechanism is as follows: The parts being in the position shown in Fig. l, to start the machine, after wheel li is in rotation, the operator depresses the shaft G, and withdraws the roller plunger G2 from engagement with t-he cam E. The compressed spring` E now. through the agency of the shaft El, presses the lever roller GT against the cam F and moves the clutch piece D toward the gear wheel B, and puts the clutch part C, C2 into engagement with the parts if, C" of the clutch member D and rotates the mechanism which operates the punch. The operator now allows the shaft G to rise, which carries up the plunger roller G2 against the clutch D. As the cam Fi, E2, F2 rotates, it, by impinging on said plunger G2, forces the clutch D to the left and disengages the clutch. As the cam rotates, the cam lf2, lf2 moves the roller G7 and the lever Gg moves the shaft M back and compresses the spring N. The lower end portion ll" ol. the lever is now in a position where the angulated end GM of the arm G2 ian move to the left of this end portion G10, and it does so move and then locks the lever GS so that it ,is imn'iovable. until the shaft G again moved by human agency. Thus the spring prevented from acting, and there is nothing which can tend to unite the disengaged parts of the clutch. Thus the disengagement'. of the clutch is made continuously secure and is safe-guarded.

It is to be noted that, in the construction illustrated in Figs. 4t and the portions E2, E3, E3 of the one cam are respectively a quarter of a circle in acvauce of those poris connected to the treadle or other means tions F2, F "t, F of the other cam. Therefore Cit the clutch is disengaged, before the spring l the first named cam is pressed bacl; and locked in an immov: ble position. lffhen the operator has finished using the machine, he moves back the leveil R, it: into the position shown in Fig. 1. ylhe primary function of this lever 1?., 1F, and the construction which renders the pocket )E and the spring slidal-ile, consists in preventing any possible operation of the machine while the operator putting in a new die` or the like. Such unexpected operation of the machine would be dangerous, and likely to result. in loss of hand, limb, or of life itself.

rThe construction of the pocket A2 with spring N so to be slidable, and of the lever l, li', is obviously applicable to the mechanism shown in l and 5, but as it is not the main feature of my invention, and l. desire to illustrate the operation of the mechanism where the lever R, R2 and the slidability of the pocket is omitted, 1 have not shown the said lever and pocket as slidable, in Figs. -fl and 1n l? ig. l, in case the lever R, R2 were omitted, the pocket A2 with spring N would be stationary, but the spring N would always be in active resilient contact with the shoulder M2 of the shaft M.

What l claim as new, and of my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. 1n a machine for operating on material by an intermittent movement, a clutch having a reciprocatory member, two cams in connection with said member, a reciprocatory plunger, mechanism for reciprocating the latter, one of the said cams beingadapted to operate against the plunger when the latter is within reach of the cam, a spring, and a shaft. advanced by the spring, means for enabling said spring actuated shaft to operate against such second cai i and operate the said clutch member, a stop bar or vkey in connection with the reciprocating mechanism for operating the plungeigand adapted to locl: the spring from acting on the adjacent cam and its said clutch member.

In a machine for-operating on material b v an intermittent movement, the combination of a clutch, having a reciprocatory member, two cams in connection with the latter, a reeiprocatory plunger. plunger shaft connected to the plunger for reciprocating the latter, one of said cams being adapted to operate against the plunger, when the latter positioned for moving the movable clutch member out of engagement with the opposite clutch member, a spring, and a shaft advanced thereby, .the shaft adapted to operate against the second cam and advance the movable clutch member into engagement with the opposite clutch member, a stop bar, in connection with the plunger shaft and adapted, when has retracted the mov'- able clutch member to hold back the spring shaft, and prevent the spring from operating to close together the clutch members.

1n combination, the clutch having .a movable member, a reciprocatory plunger adapted to come into proximity with the movable clutch member, a. reciprocatory shaft connected lto this plunger, a cam on the movable clutch for operating in connection with the plunger and retracting the movable clutch piece, a spring, and a vshaft advanceal'ile by the spring, the forward end of this shaft provided with a. roller, in contact with the face of the second cam, the said spring `shaft carrying a stud. the reciprocatory plunger shaft carrying a stop bar which. when the plunger in coperation with the first named cam has retracted the movable clutch member, is interposed against the said stud and holds back the spring and spring shaft.

l. In combination, .the clutch having a movable member, a reciprocatory plunger adapted to come into proximity with the movable clutch member, a reciprocatory shaft connected to this plunger, a cam on the movable clutch for operating in connection with lthe plunger and retracting the movable clutch piece, a slidable l pocket or receptacle, a spring located therein, ashaft adapted at one end vto bear against the face of the second cam, an abutment of the shaft in proximity to the spring, a lever, anda link connect-.ing the lever to the sliding spring pocket` for enabling the lever when operated to advance the spring against the abutment of the shaft and resiliently press the shaft forward yfor advancing the movable clutch member into engagement with the opposite member ofthe clutch, a stop bar or ltey on the reciprocatory shaft for moving the plunger, which 'when the .movable clutch member has been moved out of engagement with the opposite clutch member, and the spring shaft has been retracted, shall engage the spring shaft and hold it back from operating to move the movable clutch.

In combination ywitha clutch and two cams inconnection .with the movable member of the clutch,.and a reciprocatory plunger, for operating the first named cam, and disengaging the members of the clutch, and a shaft, which when advanced shall operate against the second cam to advancethe movable clutch member into engagement with the clutch, and a-stop bar or-key, for locking the movable clutch when the lat-ter has been retracted, the device consisting of the slidable spring carrier, and a spring carried thereby, and the abutment on the shaft for the springto impinge when the latter isadvanced, anda lever pivote'd to a stationary support, and a connection between the rlever and the slidable spring carrier for enabling the said lever when operated in one direction to advance the spring against the abutment of the said shaft, and through the agency of the second cam, cause the clutch members to engage one another, and When operated in the opposite direction to retract the spring out oli' engagement with the said shaft.

6. ln combination, the clutch having a movable member, a reciprocatory plunger adapted to come into proximity With the movable Clutch member, a reciprocatory shaft connected to this plunger, a cam on the movable clutch for operating in conneetion With the plunger and retracting the movable clutch piece, a spring, and a shaft advanceable by the spring, the forward end of this shaft provided with a roller, in contaet- With the face of the second cam, the said spring shaft carrying' a roller stud, the reciprocatory plunger shaft carrying a stop bar, Which When the plunger in cooperation with the first named cam has retracted the movable clutch member is interposed against the said roller stud and holds back the sprin and spring shaft.

7. In combination7 the clutch haring a movable member, a reeiproeatory plunger adapted to come into proximity with the movable clutch member7 a reciproeatory shaft connected to this plunger, a cam on the movable clutch for operating in connection With the plunger and retracting the movable clutch piece, a spring7 and a shaft :Nlvaneeable by the spring. the forward end of this sha-itt provided With a roller, in contact with the face of the second cam, the said spring shaft carrying a roller stud, the reciprocatory plunger shaft carrying beeled stop bar, Which When the plunger in co operation With the lirst named cam has retracted the movable clutch member is iuterposed against the said roller stud and holds back the spring and spring shaft.

CHRSTAN F. HEINSS. Attest S. B. DEAL, K. SurrH. 

